Creativity has shown may faces for
Philadelphia born sculptor, Joe Pippett. He learned the
art of building homes, by working in the family
business, while still in high school. His attention to
detail and refinement manifested early, as he came to
appreciate the value of a fine tool in thehands
of a skilled artisan. Joe's inquisitive mind and
disciplined work ethic were recognized with a
scholarship to Villanova University. Upon earning a
degree in Engineering, he was chosen to be a member of
the team selected to perform Research & Development at
the Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility, following the
infamous reactor incident of 1979. His career, as a
nuclear start-up engineer, includes the invention and
successful utilization of several pieces of equipment,
which are in use throughout the industry today.

Restlessness and a yearning for a more creative outlet
eventually forced Joe to leave the security of a fast
track career, for the unknown and risky pursuit of
acting. First in New York and then Los Angeles, he
became a sought after commercial actor. He started a
custom home remodeling business, which more than
occupied his time between acting jobs. His meticulous
work was in such demand by television industry
executives, that his own acting career was eventually
abandoned.

The desire for a more unique expression of his
creativity guided Joe to woodcarving and eventually on a
pilgrimage to Camp Verde, Arizona, and the ranch home of
master sculptor John M. Soderberg. His intense
admiration and their mutual respect led to the beginning
of Joe’s apprenticeship. “ I was moved by the man and
his work, by his view of the world and by the pure,
unlimited potential that sculpting in bronze allows the
artist” says Pippett, giving homage to Soderberg and to
his newfound love for bronze. Their first meeting
accumulated with Soderberg handing Pippett a selection
of his own sculpting tools, followed by a simple,
understated “You’ll be needing these.”

They continue to work together. Additionally, Joe has
studied with master sculptor Jonathan Bickart in Los
Angeles. Pippett has recently returned to the film
industry, this time through special effects, sculpting
for the Jim Henson Creature Shop and John Criswell
Productions. He continues to pursue his unique vision;
his work reflects an intensely personal expression,
which touches our common soul, and makes us rejoice in
our humanity. “As many artists before me have done, I
have searched for a way to express my feeling about this
fantastic gift we call life. I have found it in bronze
sculpture. I feel I’ve come home.”

J.A. Pippett

“It is on honor and a pleasure to work with and know
Joe Pippett. His ideas, and his expression of them, are
fresh and professional, as well as genuinely creative.
As in any family, we forget the newer generations at out
peril… with sculptors like Joe, the Family of Bronze
will stay healthy, and through him and others like him,
our future is assured.”